Let's Burn Our Food, Shall We?

Today's business section reports that corn prices have jumped 30 percent.

This on top of a news report recently that indicates that the price of rice has skyrocketed in the last year.

And finally, Joshua Lederles wrote today that corn production is spreading the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

The articles all ascribe the issue to the increased production of biofuels. Before I continue, permit me to point out that the carbon footprint of 35,000 Kcal (1 gallon of gas) is going to the same (or possibly slightly worse; petroleum is amazingly efficient) for biofuel as it is for petrofuel. So, either way, if we don't change our transportation habits, we're going to poison the planet.

The question thus remains, shall we starve as we poison the planet, or not? When Bush says he wants to reduce dependence on foreign oil, he's still missing the fundamental issue: our transportation-based economy and life style will not continue indefinitely.

Yeah, I know, Lynne, here I am on the soap box again. At least I kept it short.